ASLU 024: How to Successfully Pitch Your Creative Business
Painting by Heather Travis
Episode 24 of the podcast is my last episode with guest host Heather Travis. We’ve had such a great time co-hosting this month and we’re ending with a topic that the two of us have a lot of experience with: pitching. Both of us pitch regularly and get pitched regularly. It’s safe to say that the two of us have a good handle on the art of pitching!
Pitching might be something you try to avoid and I get it… it’s nerve-racking to put yourself out there over and over again. Nobody wants to hear a “no”. It’s also a lot of work! If you’ve listened to all the episodes Heather and I have done this month they have probably notices a recurring theme: research and relationships. And pitching is no different.
But, we both really believe that if you’re not pitching yourself, you’re leaving opportunities for your business on the table.
It doesn’t matter what kind of creative business you have: you could be an artist, a maker, a creative service provider, a content creator - every single one of us could benefit from pitching ourselves and our work to other businesses, other creatives we’d like to work with, media outlets, influencers… pitching helps you create your own opportunities.
Before we dive in there are two things of note:
In this episode we refer to the word “brand” a lot - as in pitching a brand. When we say brand, we don’t just mean a big company and we’re not just talking about in the context of sponsored content. It sounds very corporate but really, all businesses are brands and have different brand characteristics - from large multi-national companies to independent retailers. Galleries have brand personalities. One might be known as a water colour only gallery. Another might be a local artists only gallery. The same can be said of creatives and makers and even influencers. Even you are a brand. So think of brand in a more holistic sense in this episode!
This episode is a little longer than our usual episodes but we had a lot to pack into it. We both hope you find it really helpful!
Listen To the Episode
Here’s a direct link to Episode 24 - or you can listen via the players below:
when would you want to pitch yourself?
There’s three main reasons you might want pitch yourself:
you’re pitching for work (hire me!)
you’re pitching for press or exposure (promote and talk about me!)
you’re pitching for collaboration (work with me!)
Most of us know that if we want to get work we need to either approach people who might want to hire us or wait for them to knock on our door. When you’re starting out, not many people are even going to know you have a door, never mind coming to knock on it. So you’re going to have to pitch people who might want to hire you. Or…
…you’re can pitch yourself for press and exposure so that people can find your door. Either that or you’ll have to pay for some kind of marketing.
Pitching for collaboration can be really fun - this is when you pitch a fellow creative you’ve always wanted to work with to partner up on some kind of cool project!
The Essence of Making a good pitch
We’ve been saying it for weeks now. Relationships and research are crucial to so many aspects of running a business and pitching is no different.
In most instances, a pitch should not be your first form of contact with a person.
A pitch should not be confused with an introduction.
A successful pitch really shows you are in a partnership with whomever you are pitching and that you have done the research to be able to understand and demonstrate the value you can bring to the partnership.
We’ll say it one more time:
Do not underestimate the value of building relationships - both with your colleagues and peers and with your community of fans, purchasers, clients, readers… anyone who helps move your business forward.
It’s not just who you know, it’s who you know and what you know about them. How can you solve their problems?
Even if you find yourself in a situation where a “cold” pitch is necessary (and sometimes they are), you can go in fully armed by doing copious amounts of research. Think of Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank. Thos are cold pitches but if you dare go in the den or the tank without having done any research on the dragons or sharks, you’re going to get shredded to pieces!
A good pitch:
should be framed in a way that you are showing how you can solve a problem for the person you are pitching
it should spark interest
it should show you’ve done your research and know who you should be talking to
should not be generic - each pitch is different
The Pitch is Never About You
A pitch is never about you. Yes, you absolutely want to get something out of it - otherwise why do it? But, if you want somebody to be interested in even listening to your pitch, you need to make it all about them.
How can you solve your problems? How can you make their lives easier?
If you’re pitching for work, what does your potential client need? What’s their pain point?
If you’re pitching for press what makes your story interesting to the audience you want to get it out to? How are you helping the media outlet?
If you’re pitching for a creative collaboration, what about your pitch would pique somebody’s creative interest?
We all know that one “friend” who wanders in and out of our lives. They never seem really interested in anything we’re doing. In fact, the only time we hear from them is when they want something from us. We know the minute their name comes up on our phone display that they’re going to want a favour.
Don’t be that person when you pitch. Nobody wants to feel like the only reason you talk to them is because they have something you want right now.
Make Lives Easier With Your Pitch
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you pitch is making the person you’re pitching have to do more work than they already have on their plate.
Don’t be vague: Saying you’d like to write for a publication means nothing to the person fielding pitches. Of course you want to write for them otherwise why would you send in a pitch? What do you want to write about? Propose some topic ideas - after doing your research. A potential client shouldn’t have to do the brainstorming for you. If your ideas don’t hit the mark then you probably didn’t do enough research.
Be respectful of people’s time. Being vague is time wasting. If you want to speak to the person you’re pitching contact them first and find out when would be a good time. Give them a heads up on what you want to talk about. Don’t tell me you have a great idea and could we hop on the phone to talk about it? Everyone who pitches me says they have a great idea. But without knowing more, I’m not going to schedule time to talk about it - unless I know you well and we’ve worked together before and you have a proven track record of bringing me great ideas!
Get really, really, really good at demonstrating the value you bring to the table and how it translates to the particular relationship you are trying to grow. The value you bring to one person may be very different from what you bring to another relationship because no two relationships are alike.
One Vacation: Two Different Pitches
Here’s an example that brings it all together.
You really want to go on a sunny beach vacation this winter with your partner. But your partner really doesn’t enjoy chilling on the beach. They like adventure. So to pitch this vacation idea, you’re going to do your research and find out what kind of activities are nearby that speak to their sense of adventure. Surfing school? Whale watching? Parasailing? That’s what you’re going to use to sell them on the beach vacation.
Now if you want to take that same vacation with a group of girlfriends you might go about it differently. Maybe cost is a big worry for them. So you do the research to find cheaper flights or a great resort that has an all-inclusive special on and if you share rooms the price is even less expensive.
Same vacation but you’re pitching it to two different groups with two different strategies and a lot of research! (and oh yeah… the people you pitched didn't have to do anything except say yes or no and then enjoy a great vacation that was all planned out for them based on their likes and needs!)
Research & relationships are critical for working creatives
It’s Ok To Start Small
Relationships take time to build. Most of us don’t get engaged after a first date because… well… that would be weird in most cases. The same goes for building a business relationship. Get to know each other. Start small and build trust. The bigger projects and collaborations will come!
And remember… agreeing to partner up after you’ve pitched isn’t the end or the beginning of the work. You’re still going to have to negotiate the terms of the partnership (see last week’s episode!) and everyone needs to do their due diligence and then the work can begin!
So How Do You Start a Relationship With A Brand?
Well… do you follow them on social media at all? That’s step one. Show that you’re interested in them and what they have to say. Nobody wants to be in a relationship with somebody who doesn’t care about what they have to say!!
Pay attention to what they’re saying. Are they a good fit? Does their message align with your values? Can you see ways you could be of service?
If the answer to those questions is yes, start engaging publicly with them! Let them know you’re out there and you’re listening and interested in what they have to say. And when we say engage we mean engage in a meaningful way - not just hitting the like button. You want to build up to that moment you send them a message - your name should be recognizable at that point. Remember, there’s real humans behind those social media accounts!
And, your first DM shouldn’t be you asking for something! Again, do your research. Dive into LinkedIn (you have a profile right?) and find out more. If it’s a large brand, look for press releases and job titles that give you an idea of who might manage their social media. Magazines have all kinds of information in the mast head - go to the bookstore or the drugstore or even the library and check them out. Research, research, research! And then build the relationship!
Asking For Introductions
Both of us get a lot of requests to share contact information. It’s important to understand that asking a colleague or peer for the contact information of somebody you want to connect with is actually a really big ask. People spend a lot of time cultivating relationships that work and there’s a lot of trust built into that process. They don’t want to break that trust by passing on contact information without at least asking permission first. (and in turn, you should never pass on another person’s contact info without permission).
So why not ask for an introduction instead? I’m quite happy to make introductions where appropriate (key word: appropriate). This is a great way for a third party to pave the way for you to meet that person you’ve always wanted to connect with. They can sing your praises and make a case for why you’d be a great person to work with. This can make things much easier and productive for you!
However… I’m not going to introduce somebody I barely know to one of my important contacts. You need to have formed a solid relationship with me first. I don’t want to waste the time of somebody I respect by introducing them to somebody who is only going to want to take take take. Or to somebody who is going to flake out half way through a project. If I barely know you, I can’t sing your praises because I don’t know you well enough.
So you can see how this works… building relationships is key. You need to build them everywhere and with all kinds of people - both inside and outside of your niche.
Be Helpful
Part of building long term relationships that ultimately make your pitching moments easier is coming from a place of service. Don’t be afraid to help out where you can, even if money isn’t changing hands. Building trust and making yourself a person who can be relied upon, who offers up solutions, who is trustworthy and who can help in a bad situation is a currency of far higher value than dollar bills.
This is not us advocating you work for free at all… we want you all to make money - as much money as you want! But sometimes, for the really big money to be on the table, you need to have the solid relationships. And those are built over time with give and take on both sides.
How Do You Do The Research?
Start with the basics:
Visit their website and social media channels. Dive deeper and look at the content, the posts, the About Us pages, the Contact pages. Try to find information on working with the person or brand.
Look for interviews with the person or people from that company. You can do this through a simple google search or put the person’s name into your podcast app and see what comes up.
Go to the library and look through back issues from magazines you’re interested in pitching if you’re a writer both in print and digitally
On that note, a library card is one of the best (free) investments you can make if you need to do research. The amount of free resources from magazines to on-line learning to access to high tech gear to make podcasts or videos is astounding. Check out this article for ways you can use your library to help you build your creative business.
Editorial calendars and media kits for most publications, brands or influencers are available online if you search for them. They are packed with info with everything from audience demographics to rate cards. Want to get your hand tufted pillows on Apartment Therapy - their kit is online and tells you everything you need to know to make that happen! It’s also a great way to get familiar with the type of language to use when presenting yourself.
Get acquainted with LinkedIn. Even if you don’t post, it’s a great place to learn more about the people you need to connect with and the companies they work for.
Check a company’s press section on their website - lots of information is listed there including who their agencies of record are, what charities they support, what their financial reporting are and so much more!
How Do You Handle a No?
No’s happen. A lot. They’re not personal. A no is a business decision, not a personal insult. A no is also only a no right now. It could turn into a yes down the road - depending on how you react to it.
If you get a no, keep your cool. Politely thank the person for their time and wish them well. Perhaps mention that you hope that you can work together in the future if circumstances change. In some cases it may be ok and appropriate to ask for feedback so you can improve your pitch next time.
If you can’t keep your cool, stay quiet and don’t respond.
If you respond with anger or rudeness, it won’t go well and it could cause you hurt down the road. You don’t know who that person has in their network. And people do talk about bad interactions. Word of mouth is a powerful promoter of your work but it can also be devastating to your career if you become known as somebody who is disagreeable to interact with.
A no doesn’t mean you can’t try again. It may mean you need to do more research or you need to still work on building the relationship. It could also mean the person doesn’t have a big budget this year, or they don’t have room on their contributor list. There could be so many reasons you got a no that you know nothing about. So always give the benefit of the doubt and see what you can do to continue building the relationship in a real and authentic way.
So, To Recap…
Successful pitching needs three very simple things:
building good relationship
doing solid research constantly
solving the problems of the people you are pitching
